Bubble putter

ABSTRACT

Golf putter that will aid golfer in determining slope of green and putting target line to compensate for slope of green.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/979,967, filed Oct. 15, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf equipment, and in particular, to a golf putter with a built in bubble level to assist in identifying horizontal slope of green (L to R; R to L) around hole in relationship to where player's ball is on the green; putter shaft optionally has straight edge to assist in identifying target line to compensate for slope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many putting greens have a slope from right to left, left to right, back to front, front to back. Often a combination of the different slopes will exist on the same green. Often these slopes will be visual to the eye. Equally as often the slope is so slight it is very difficult to identify it with the eye. The purpose of this invention is to assist in identification of the horizontal slope (L to R; R to L), not the front to back or back to front slope.

Golfers typically attempt to determine horizontal slope on a green on a visual basis. Based on their observation they will determine if they should aim their putt to the right or left of the hole to compensate for the right to left or left to right slope and how hard they should strike the ball based on it being an uphill on down hill slope between their ball and the hole.

Additionally, many golfers will use what is referred to as the “plumb bob” method to determine a target line for a putt by holding the putter out from their body at about shoulder height and identify a target line using the edge of the putter shaft. This is a very misleading alignment tool because the typical putter shaft is ½″ wide at the top of the shaft tapered down to about ¼″ wide at the bottom of the shaft. This creates an “angle” vs a straight edge, as is proposed under this invention. This means the alignment target line is off by at least ⅛″ and depending on how far from the hole the golfers ball is, the put could be missed by many inches, the further from the hole the greater width of the miss.

This invention will allow the golf player to more accurately identify the right to left or left to right slope of the green around the hole in relationship to the position of their golf ball on the green. Additionally, this invention will aid the golf player to more accurately identify the target line for their putt to compensate for the right to left or left to right slope utilizing the straight edge of the putter shaft. This invention is not designed to aid the player in identifying if the slope is uphill or downhill in relationship to the position of their ball on the green.

Regardless of the slop direction, the golfer will still require skill in hitting the ball on the correct target line and at the right speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A. Design of the Bubble Putter

The putter is constructed with a generally cylindrical opening in the putter shaft, having its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The opening is adapted to receive a spirit vial of the type used in a conventional spirit level. The opening is generally located between the grip portion of the putter and the hosel, preferably within about an inch from the grip. Apertures are provided at about 90°, measured circumferentially from the cylindrical opening, to permit viewing of the spirit in the vial.

B. Determining the Slope of the Green:

1. The putter is held at the very top of shaft with arm extended outwardly from the body (parallel to the ground) at about shoulder height with the putter hanging straight down at right angle to the ground. The bottom half of the putter is positioned directly over the ball and the top half of the putter is positioned directly over the golf hole, forming a straight line between the ball and the hole. If the bubble within the bubble level appears to right of center the green slopes from the right to the left; if the bubble appears to the left of center the green slopes from left to right; if the bubble appears in the center there is no slope.

2. This process will tell the golfer when the bubble appears to the right of center the ball when struck will roll from right to left; if the bubble appears to the left of center the ball, when struck, will roll from left to right and if the bubble appears in the center the ball will roll straight when struck.

C. Determining Target Line of Putt:

1. Right to left slope: The top of the putter is held with the right hand and is extended outward from the body at about shoulder level and positioned with the left straight edge of the shaft over the center of the ball and the center of the hole forming a straight a line between the ball and hole. The top of the putter is slowly tilted to the right, keeping the bottom left straight edge of the putter over the center of the ball. (NOTE: Both hands may be used during this stage if necessary to keep the bottom of the putter straight edge over the center of the ball.) As the top of the putter is being slowly tilted to the right, the bubble in the bubble level is observed. When the bubble is located within the center, the tilting process is stopped. The target line is based on the left straight edge of the putter. A spot on the green is picked one to three feet in front of the ball in line with the left straight edge of the putter. This spot represents the target to be used to line up and strike the putt.

2. Left to right slope: The top of the putter is held with the left hand and is extended outward from the body at about shoulder level and positioned with the right straight edge of the shaft over the center of the ball and the center of the hole forming a straight line between the ball and hole. The top of the putter is slowly tilted to the left, keeping the bottom right straight edge of the putter over the center of the ball. (NOTE: Both hands may be used during this stage if necessary to keep the bottom of the putter edge over the center of the ball.) As the top of the putter is being slowly tilted to the left, the bubble in the bubble level is observed. When the bubble is located within the center, the tilting process is stopped. The target line is based on the right straight edge of the putter. A spot on the green is picked one to three feet in front of the ball in line with the right edge of the putter. This spot represents the target to be used to line up and strike the putt.

3. No slope: Top of the putter is held with either hand and arm extended outward from the body at about shoulder level and position putter with either straight edge of the shaft over the center of the ball and the center of the hole forming a straight line between the ball and hole. (NOTE: Both hands may be used during this stage if necessary to keep the bottom of the putter edge over the center of the ball.) The target line is based on the straight edge of the putter, left or right whichever selected. A spot on the green is picked one to three feet in front of the ball in line with the straight edge selected of the putter. This spot represents the target to be used to line up and strike the putt.

NOTE: Either hand can be used to line up the putt; however, using the right or left hand as outlined in B-1 and B-2 is recommended.

4. When the player's ball is above the hole and there is a sever downhill slope between the ball and the hole, increase the target line by approximately double the distance.

5. When putting over a hump in the green, a point on the hump is visually identified based on where the ball will begin to fall off the hump down to the hole and then the target line to that point on the hump is determined based on using that point on the hump in relation to the ball on the green, using steps 1, 2 or 3 above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: Left side of putter

FIG. 2: Back of putter

FIG. 3: Schematic illustration of manner of using putter 

1. A putter shaft that is tapered down to approximately ¼″ to fit into a putter head beginning approximately 80% down the shaft thus providing 80% of the putter shaft resulting in a straight line edge for putt alignment purposes, as described under Summary of use of invention. (FIG. 1) Typical putter shaft is about ½″ wide at the top and is tapered from very top to very bottom down to ¼″ at the bottom to fit into a putter head.
 2. At very top of shaft a putter grip is added and the very bottom of the shaft is fitted into a putter head, much the same as typical putter construction.
 3. Within about 1″ below the bottom of the putter grip a horizontal hole is drilled thru the shaft from the left side thru to the right side. (FIG. 1)
 4. A viewing hole is drilled on the back of the shaft into the horizontal hole drilled in claim 3 above. (FIG. 2)
 5. A liquid bubble level is inserted into the horizontal hole identified in claim 3 above. (FIG. 1)
 6. The liquid bubble level (claim 5 above) has a ¼″ wide leveling bubble within it.
 7. The uniqueness of this invention is the shape of the putter shaft and the insertion of a horizontal liquid bubble level into the shaft. The putter grip and putter head would be selected from a wide range of grip and head options available. 